The post The Remarkable Russian Blue: Comparing Olga to the Breed Standard by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi‚ I’m Christopher&;#33; Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat‚ Olga. I didn’t know much about Russian Blues until I adopted one‚ but after watching Olga transform from a psychotic kitten to a friendly‚ mischievous‚ middle-aged lady‚ I’ve learned a lot. Her physical characteristics‚ like her blue coat‚ light green eyes‚ and 10.06-pound weight‚ seem to follow the breed standard. Olga is a rescue cat; I’ve never had her DNA tested‚ and I’m not an expert at identifying felines‚ so she could be purebred or mixed. I think she has plenty of Russian Blue blood pumping in her veins and displays most of the behavioral traits that made the breed famous. Russian Blue Behavior She was aloof and violent as a young cat and affectionate without being clingy. She’s smarter and more coordinated than I initially gave her credit for and can open and close doors‚ catch paper balls like an outfielder‚ attack me when I sleep late‚ and detect when I’m having a bad day. However‚ some Russian Blue folklore makes me laugh when I think about Olga. Even the nicknames Archangel Blue and Maltese Blue aren’t accurate representations of her. If anything‚ she’s more of an anti-Christ than an Archangel. Russian Blues supposedly have “Mona Lisa smiles” because of their upturned mouths‚ but Olga’s looks more devious and similar to Lizzie Borden’s. This is your last chance; I’m jumping on that keyboard if you don’t have my dinner ready soon. Archangel Folklore There’s a myth that Russian Blues watched over babies while they slept and protected them from the 19th-century version of Freddy Kruger. If only the kids on Elm Street had a colony of felines‚ so many murders could have been prevented‚ as long as they didn’t have cats like Olga. She’s no match for an evil spirit‚ poltergeist‚ dream assassin‚ or holographic vacuum cleaner. I can count on her to dispatch insects‚ but anything else‚ whether natural or metaphysical‚ causes her to sprint in fear. Olga is a stealthy runner and master at blending in with the shadows‚ and an intruder in my home wouldn’t know I have a cat unless they stumble over the litter box. Olga the Brave (Meek) She’s fierce when confronted by stuffed mice‚ paper balls‚ and flies but runs when she hears a helicopter flying over or a pyrotechnic explosion. Olga isn’t a guard cat and may not be the best babysitter for kids‚ but I like the idea that cats in northern Russia protected sleeping babies instead of stealing their breath or cursing them‚ as other superstitions suggest. Olga’s ancestors traveled with sailors to other European countries after leaving Arkhangelsk‚ and it’s possible that their seafaring ways and tolerance of water were retained in Olga’s genes. She’s never been on a boat or seen the ocean‚ but she isn’t afraid to play in the shower water or attack me on the rare occasion I’m in the bathtub. From this angle‚ my head really looks enormous‚ doesn’t it&;#63; Before I learned to keep the bathroom door locked‚ she tried to swat at me through the shower curtain‚ and a few years ago‚ when I was in the tub‚ she knocked a shampoo bottle into my head after casually taking a stroll on the slippery edge. I remind guests to lock the door before they get in the shower because I don’t want my pint-sized Norman Bates to wander in and scare them. I’m proud of Olga for being clever and relieved she hasn’t learned how to handle a butcher knife. Sources https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/resources/russian-blue-cat-facts/ https://cfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/russian-blue-standard.pdf https://www.tica.org/phocadownload/rb.pdf The post The Remarkable Russian Blue: Comparing Olga to the Breed Standard by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Book Recommendations classic science fiction Five Vintage Works of SF From Women Writers Women have written science fiction for as long as the field has existed; here are five highlights from days of yore… By James Davis Nicoll | Published on April 29‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Some recent online conversations started me thinking about the women speculative authors of yore. Not the recent yore‚ when I was a teen or at least a kid‚ but days even more of yore than that: the 1950s and earlier1. Wondering what I mean&;#63; Here are five works of speculative fiction from an era so long ago that even I did not exist. No doubt a few of the following works are known to you. The few that are not might be worth reading. The Diploids and Other Flights of Fancy by Katherine MacLean (1962) While the collection itself is of 1960s vintage‚ the contents of this splendid MacLean collection almost all date from the early 1950s‚ the lone exception being from 1949. MacLean was a skillful author who could shape her stories to fit diverse markets. However‚ most of the stories in Diploids were published in two of the three flagship magazines of the period‚ Astounding (now Analog) and Galaxy. Galaxy was more open to SF that was more humanistic‚ less tech-focused‚ while Astounding paid better. My favorites in this volume are “The Snowball Effect‚” which features a social experiment successful far beyond its creators’ contingency plans2‚ and “Pictures Don’t Lie‚” in which seeing really should have been believing. Also of note‚ “Incommunicado‚” a tale of human-machine rapport that was wildly praised in its era. I am a bit disappointed that MacLean‚ a Cordwainer Smith Award recipient‚ was never further honored as a SFWA Grandmaster. SFWA did name her Special Author Emeritus in 2003. Who knows&;#63; Perhaps they will consider MacLean for the Infinity Award. Children of the Atom by Wilmar H. Shiras (1953) A 1973 nuclear power plant mishap killed many unlucky staff members. Some survived‚ despite radiation exposure‚ and went on to have children… mutant children. On meeting one mutant youth‚ child psychologist Peter Welles is quick to deduce that there must be others. America can be an unwelcoming place to unusual people. Rather than leave the mutant children to the vagaries of mob justice‚ Welles establishes what one might call a school for gifted youngsters. However‚ Welles’ attempts to ensure peaceful relations between man and mutant will not play out as he envisioned. Modern readers may recognize in Children of the Atom a possible inspiration for Marvel Comics’ X-Men. The differences outweigh the similarities. Shiras’ mutants are geniuses‚ but lack flashy physics-defying superpowers. More importantly‚ Shiras takes her plot in an entirely different direction from the conflict-heavy comics. The result is closer to Zenna Henderson than Stan Lee or Jack Kirby. The Starmen by Leigh Brackett (1952) Michael Trehearne feels himself perpetually out of step with the rest of the world. He travels to Brittany in search of family roots and an answer to his malaise. To his surprise‚ he discovers that his origins may be far more exotic than he ever could have imagined. Michael may be a hybrid human‚ the illicit offspring of a Varddan‚ one of the starmen of Llyrdis3. He certainly demonstrates Varddan immunity to the effects of superluminal travel. Whatever Michael’s true origins‚ he provokes a crisis amongst the starmen. The easiest way to deal with disruptive elements is‚ of course‚ to kill them… but Michael is hard to kill. Michael is an issue because he potentially threatens the Varddan Council’s monopoly on star flight. The Council claims that they must protect their monopoly because every other flavor of human is so xenophobic that breaking the monopoly would lead to interstellar war. It’s mere coincidence that their efforts have an unintended side effect: empowering and enriching the Council. Judgment Night by C.L. Moore (1943) Armed with the wisdom of the Ancients of Ericon‚ dynasty after dynasty dominated the galaxy‚ then fell to their own folly. Imperial heir Juille is determined to preserve her family’s empire. Egide of the H’vani believes it is his people’s time to rule. Juille believes prophecy ensures her certain victory… but then‚ so did every previous dynasty. Readers might expect that Juille will fall for Egide as soon as she sees his impressive jawline. Moore didn’t write that sort of heroine. Juille never loses track of her goal. She is not nearly as good at listening to the oracles’ unambiguous warnings‚ but then‚ what would happen to the plot if she took time to consider those&;#63; “Unwillingly to School” by Pauline Ashwell (1958) Frontier girl Lizzie Lee wields lies and half-truths to achieve her ends. Her talents are sufficient to wrap the rough-and-ready pioneers of Excenus 23 around her finger. Will Lizzie Lee succeed in fast-talking her way off her birth world and into a Terran university program for cultural engineering&;#63; Lizzie is nearly as good as she thinks she is. There were moments where Lizzie reminded me of Mattie Ross’ horse-trading in Portis’ True Grit. As it happens‚ social manipulation is a regulated trade in this universe; Lizzie explains‚ in her eccentric dialect‚ just why that is. Of course‚ women have written science fiction and fantasy since the field began. This is only a small sample; I’ve had to overlook many interesting works. Feel free to mention your pre-1961 favorites in comments below.[end-mark] This unfortunately excludes Ursula Le Guin‚ whose prose SF did not appear until just after I was born. I will also neglect pre-Gernsbackian authors like Margaret Cavendish and Mary Shelley because while works like The Blazing World and Frankenstein would be classified as SF if published now‚ they predate SF in its modern sense. I will also regretfully omit Judith Merril’s Year’s Best S-F anthologies‚ because as delightful as they are‚ most of the works she chose were works by men. ︎Because they didn’t bother with contingency plans. Or‚ for that matter‚ research ethics. ︎It’s best not to wonder how all the worlds of the galaxy got their own humans in a story that seems to be set in the 1950s. Exceptionally parallel evolution‚ I suppose. Also‚ it’s odd that nobody of significance on Earth seems to have noticed off-world traders. ︎The post Five Vintage Works of SF From Women Writers appeared first on Reactor.

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This Cheddar Ranch Pasta Salad is one you will make over and over. It’s absolutely delicious and the perfect addition to any gathering&;#33; So many wonderful additions to this salad. If you love this salad you will also love our Amish Pasta Salad‚ it’s our most popular pasta salad recipe&;#33; ❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE...

Modern society tends to equate mastery with specialized “expertise.” And yet we owe many of our advances to the brilliant‚ uncredentialed amateurs known as polymaths. Our own history is rich with versatile jacks-of-all-trades such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. To that list we can also add the more obscure name of Sequoyah.Born to a Cherokee mother and a white father around 1760 in what is now Tennessee‚ Sequoyah possessed a restless intellect. As a boy‚ he invented and built devices to help his mother milk cows; he was also a talented artist‚ creating pigments from crushed berries and bark. As a teen‚ he trained as a warrior‚ learning to use the bow and arrow‚ the tomahawk‚ and the spear. From his mother‚ he picked up blacksmithing and silversmithing‚ building a forge and his own tools.Sequoyah's sole language was Cherokee; like other indigenous languages‚ it had no written form. Despite his illiteracy‚ Sequoyah was able to intuit the power of the written word by observing soldiers during his stint in the U.S. Army. He set about to create a syllabary for his native tongue‚ ultimately isolating 86 syllables and creating a character for each. After years of work‚ and much resistance from Cherokee leaders (who initially charged him with witchcraft)‚ Sequoyah completed his syllabary‚ which was easy to learn and quickly adapted by most Cherokee speakers. In 1828‚ the Cherokee used this newfound written language to launch the &;quot;Cherokee Phoenix‚” the nation's first bilingual newspaper.With the Indian Removal Act of 1830‚ the U.S. government forcibly dispersed the Cherokee people from their homeland‚ stripping them of their belongings and sending many to their deaths. Thanks to Sequoyah's innovation‚ much Cherokee history and culture‚ that would otherwise have been lost‚ survived. Sequoyah's syllabary is still taught to students today.

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